When I first saw Winslow Homer’s painting, I was so struck by the simplicity of it. I feel there is nothing in teaching that simple anymore - we have the same title, but not the same job! For several years I sat with a vision of this painting in my head and this year it had to come out.
As a veteran teacher in public education, I’ve witnessed enormous changes. This is not the job I signed up for 35 years ago. Today, teachers are expected to wear many hats and adapt to every student’s unique needs. The challenges keep coming—and we keep rising to meet them.
Technology? We’ve embraced it. Gun violence? We conduct safety drills. A global pandemic? We taught virtually. Traumatized students? We created SEL programs. Despite everything, I’ve seen teachers grow stronger, more skilled, and more dedicated. Teachers in 2025 are FAR superior to that simple teacher that Homer painted.
There are serious issues in American education—but teachers aren’t the problem… we don’t control excessive testing, teacher’s opinions are censored and our professional knowledge is undervalued. Many great teachers are leaving the profession, or retiring as early as they can. The escalating teacher shortage is a significant and growing issue that the United States has to figure out.